A larder really is the organised cook’s secret weapon. Having a place for everything makes your kitchen a joy to use and turns it into a clear, uncluttered, more peaceful working environment.

Making best use of the space in your kitchen

The ideal larder is individually designed around the way you cook, the appliances you use and the items you need to store. Figura’s founder and lead designer, Giles Slater, spends a lot of time talking with clients about this in the planning stages, gaining a real understanding of how they want to use this space. He then designs the larder accordingly, making sure every inch of space can be used for maximum effect.

Things to consider when designing a larder

Giles’ first recommendation for larders is ‘don’t over-complicate them’. Access to a larder is critical so the solution he suggests to our clients whenever possible is a door and then a simple standing space with a surface and shelving wrapped around you. If there’s no space available for a walk-in larder then a larder cupboard makes for a really good alternative and provides an enormous amount of storage in a more compact area.

Everything within a larder must be easily accessible – so no internal doors or drawers – and you want to make sure all the shelving is correctly sized to provide maximum storage space. Lastly you want a really good surface at worktop height (we usually recommend marble).

Giving everything its place

The space below the marble surface is perfect for pull-out vegetable storage which must be functional and easy to clean. You might also choose to use your larder to store tableware or the microwave so positioning them correctly is really important. With careful planning we can also incorporate room for elements such as a coffee station or even a hot tap and small sink. Every Figura larder is individually designed so it’s about making sure your larder is carefully tailored to suit your cooking requirements.

Items you might want to store in your larder

Modern larders will often house small appliances as well (food mixers, blenders or bread makers), and the marble surface is the ideal place to position these. Baking products, all things breakfast, fruit, butter and eggs are other key kitchen supplies often kept in this cupboard.

In homes that have both a pantry and a larder Giles divides the two with the pantry used more for appliances, breakfast supplies, tableware and crockery. The larder can then be used for food and drinks storage.

Ways to incorporate a scullery in a modern home

Larger homes may also have a scullery and this is a really useful additional space that’s a great help if you enjoy entertaining. In the past our clients have used their sculleries to house items such as an extra dishwasher, an ice maker, larger plates, tableware and more.

A larder for your home

If you’d like to talk to the Figura team about creating a larder in your home, please do get in touch.

Larders – the secret to an organised kitchen!